Liquid feeder



y 31, 1955 E. s. RUDNICK ET AL LIQUID FEEDER Filed April 24, 1953 y m may 3 Md t ar @M E51 LlQUID FEEDER Edward S. Rudnick, New Bedford, and Stuart 1. Hunter, Seekonk, Mass.

Application April 24, 1953, Serial No. 350,934

Claims. (Cl. 137-=-571) Where in the use 'of home washing machines, bleaches or certain liquid detergents are added in full concentration directly to the contents of the machine, either before or after water is added, the contact of ti e undiluted concentration with such contents may cause permanent injury or damage to the fabric resulting in tearing or discoloration thereof.

Where the user attempts to prepare a dilute concentration of bleach by adding water thereto before pouring it into the machine, spilling of the bleach may cause injury to the person or clothing.

Where the user of the washing machine attempts to estimate the dilution of bleach, for example, before addition into the machine, the resultant concentration may be too weak to erform its intended purpose or may be too strong, with resultant injury to the'fabric.

it is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide liquid feeding equipment which may readily be incorporated in a conventional washing machine with only relatively minor modifications, that is neat, compact, having but few parts which may readily be fabricated at low cost and is not likely to become deranged and which dependably, without any manual operation or need for supervision other than the initial charging with a desired quantity of liquid, such as bleaching liquid or detergent, will feed such liquid into the container of the washing machine, without possibility of spilling on the person or clothing of the user and in such dilute concentration that will not cause injury to the contents of the container, yet will perform the desired bleaching or washing action.

According to the invention from its broader aspects, the equipment desirably comprises a casing having a liquid inlet port, a discharge port and a suction port. The inlet port is desirably connected to a source of liquid under pressure which, as it flows through the casing out of the discharge port will create a suction to draw a second liquid through the suction port from a reservoir connected thereto, the reservoir being so connected to the suction port that the liquid therein will not flow into such suction port until liquid flows through the casing.

in the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine with a feeding equipment mounted thereon,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on a greatly enlarged scale, taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, the feeding equipment is desirably shown incorporated in an electric washing machine 11 which may be of any of the conventional types now on the market.

In the illustrative embodiment herein shown, the container 12 of the washing machine in which the items to be washed are placed, is desirably filled from the top through an opening 13 in the upper wall 14 of the machine, which desirably has a hinged door 15 to cover the 2,799,448 Patented May 31, 1955 "ice container. Positioned on upper wall 14 adjacent its rear edge 15 is an elongated casing 16 which desirably is securely retained in place by means of a bolt 17, extend ing through a flange 18 desirably formed integral with casing 16, and through wall 14 and secured in place by a nut 18.

The casing 16 desirably has a longitudinal bore 21 therethrough defining a liquid inlet port 22 at one end and a liquid discharge port 23 at its other end. The bore 21 of the casing near the liquid inlet port 22 desirably has a transverse wall 24 formed therein which has a plurality of openings 25 therethrough, and an inclined passageway 26 having its inlet 27 adjacent wall 24 provides communication between the casing bore 21 and a suction port 28 in a hollow boss 29 extending outwardly from the casing 16 at right angles thereto.

The suction port 28 is desirably normally sealed by a ball valve 31 retained on the port 23 by means of a coil spring 32 positioned in boss 29, the valve functioning as a conventional check valve to permit flow of liquid only into said bore.

The inlet port 22 of the casing 16 is desirably connected by means of a pipe or tubing 35, which extends through an opening 36 in wall 14, to a water line 37 through which water may flow under pressure. The discharge port 23 is desirably connected to a pipe or tubing 38 which extends through an opening 319 in wall 14 of the washing machine and leads into the container 12.

Associated with the casing is a substantially cylindrical upright reservoir 41, preferably of suitable transparent plastic, which may be filled with liquid through its open mouth 42 and which desirably has an outlet nozzle 43 at its lower end. Affixed at one end to said nozzle as by means of a connector tubing 44 is one end 45 of a feed line 46, preferably tubing which is reversely bent adjacent end 45 and secured to the wall 1 of the washing machine, desirably by means of a pair of bars 4? which straddle the line 46 and are afiixed to wall 14- by means of bolts 48 extending through the ends of the bars 47 and through such wall, being secured in position by nuts 49. The tubing 46 extends vertically upward substantially parallel to reservoir 41 defining a feed line 51 and then is reversely bent as at 52 to define a second feed line 53, the lower end 54 of which is connected to the suction port 28. Desirably, as shown in the drawings, reversely bent portion 52 is at a level above the maximum level to which the reservoir 41 will be filled so that under normal conditions no liquid will fiow from the reservoir into the casing 16.

The casing 16, reservoir 41 and associated tubing is desirably concealed by a substantially rectangular container 55 which has lateral flanges 56 at its lower edges by means of which it may be removably affixed to wall 14 by bolts 57 extending through said flanges.

The container 55 desirably has a vertical slot 58 in its side wall 59 aligned with the reservoir 41 so that the level of the liquid in the reservoir may be observed and a plurality of markings are provided along the length of the slot related to the quantity of bleach for example, re quired for a given load of washables.

The top wall 61 of the container desirably has an open ing 62 through which extends the mouth 42 of the reservoir, the latter being restrained from vibration by means of a collar 63 afiixed at its lower end as by welding to the wall 61 and having an internal lateral flange 64 desirably with a resilient bumper 65 which abuts against the reservoir.

The mouth of the reservoir is desirably covered by means of a cap 66 hingedly mounted as at d7 to rear wall 70 of the container and having an internal disk 6% of resilient material which abuts against the rim of the reservoir when the cap is closed to seal mouth 32. The

3 cap 66 and dish 68 desirably have openings 69 by means of which the reservoir 41 is vented.

In the operation of the equipment, a load of Washables is first placed into the washing machine container 12. Depending upon the quantity of such washables, the reservoir 41 may be filled, for example, with a suitable bleach, to a predetermined level as indicated by the markings on the wall 59 of the container, such quantity being set by specifications laid down by the manufacturer of the washing machine, and the cap 66 moved to closed position. At this time, it is only necessary to start the washing cycle which will cause water, under pressure, to be forced through line 37, pipe 35, port 22 of the casing and thence through the openings 25 in wall 24, bore 21 and through discharge port 23 and line 33 into the container 12 to start to fill the latter with water.

As water is forced through the openings in wall 24, due to the restrictive efiect of such openings, the velocity of the water will be greatly increased thereby creating a Venturi action which will cause a suction to be developed in passageway 26. As a result of such suction, the pressure in feed line 46 will be reduced so that due to the greater pressure on the liquid in reservoir 41, i. 42., caused by the atmospheric pressure on the top of such liquid, the liquid or bleach will be drawn from the outlet 43 of the reservoir 41 through line 51, reversely bent portion '2 which is above the level of the liquid in the reservoir, line 53 into suction port 28, the one-way valve 31 permitting fiow of such bleaching liquid therethrough into the bore 21 of the casing. Consequently, the concentrated bleach will be mixed with the water flowing through the bore of the casing so that when such mixture is finally discharged from port 23 into the container 12 of the washing machine, it will be of such dilution as to render unlikely any injury to the contents or" the container even if the mixture should strike directly thereagainst upon initial flow of such mixture into the container.

After a given period of time, the entire quantity of bleaching liquid will be sucked from the reservoir 41 and thereafter only water will flow into the container, the check valve 31 preventing any water from flowing into the reservoir. The water supply will be cut ofl in conven tional manner and the wash cycle will thereupon continue.

With the relatively simple installation above described, there is no likelihood of concentrated bleach being poured directly into the container of the washing machine with resultant injury to the fabric it encounters. Furthermore, as the quantity of bleach to be added is indicated by the markings on wall 59 proper bleaching of the washables will result.

As many changes could be made in the above equipment, and many apparently Widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A washing machine comprising a container for washables, a line for water under pressure, a casing mounted on the top of said washing machine, said casing having (ill an inlet port, a discharge port and a suction port between said two ports, means connecting said water line to said inlet port, means connecting said discharge port to said container, means in said casing to create a suction in said suction port upon flow of Water under pressure through said casing, a reservoir for liquid having an outlet at its lower end for discharge of such liquid, said reservoir being adapted to be filled with liquid above the level of said suction port, means mounting the reservoir in upright position on the top of said washing machine, a feed line connecting the outlet of said reservoir to said suction port, said feed line rising substantially vertically from the top of the washing machine, being reversely bent at its upper end at a level above the uppermost level to which said reservoir is to be filled and thereupon extending downwardly to said suction port.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said reservoir is of transparent material and a container is positioned on the top of the washing machine over said casing, said reservoir and said feed line, said container having an opening in the top wall thereof through which the mouth of the reservoir extends, said casing having a vertical slot aligned with the wall of said reservoir through which the level of liquid in said reservoir may be seen.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which a collar is affixed to the top wall of said container around the opening therein, said collar having an inturned flange with a resilient butler thereon engaging the wall of said reservoir.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which a cap is pivotally mounted on the top of said container to cover the mouth of said reservoir.

5. A washing machine comprising a container for Washables, a line for water under pressure, a casing mounted 'on the top of said washing machine, said casing having an inlet port, a discharge port and a suction port between said two ports, means connecting said water line to said inlet port, means connecting said discharge port to said container, means in said casing to create a suction in said suction port upon flow of water under pressure through said casing, a reservoir for liquid having an outlet at its lower end for discharge of such liquid, said reservoir being adapted to be filled with liquid above the level of said suction port, means mounting said reservoir in upright position on the top of said washing machine, a vertical feed line rising from the top of said washing machine and connected at its lower end to the outlet of said reservoir, a second vertical feed line rising from the top of said washing machine and extending substantially parallel to said first feed line, the lower end of said second feed line being connected to said suction port and a line extending substantially horizontal to the top of said washing ma chine and connecting the upper ends of said feed lines, said line being above the uppermost level to which said reservoir is to be filled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,739 Kreider Mar. 18, 1902 1,777,453 Seery Oct. 7, 1930 2,325,242 Gordon July 27, 1943 2,566,469 Tea Sept. 4, 1951 2,63 ,4 8 Garrnan Mar. 17, 1953 

